The Times examines how the state Medicaid budget cuts of the last few years are restricting access to dental care for many low-income adults. The inability to obtain preventive care results in more emergency room visits for tooth pain and other dental issues, which E.R.s are ill-equipped to treat. Minnesota is among the states that have cut dental coverage for adults on Medicaid, but it has also begun licensing dental therapists, mid-level professionals who can perform many procedures that dentists traditionally perform. As you might imagine, dentists are not keen on the idea.
Medicaid coverage of dental services may seem like an easily pared optional service, but the importance of good oral health cannot be understated. Gum disease has been linked to diabetes and stroke. Poor dental health can also complicate efforts to obtain employment. Let’s hope states can eventually restore some of these services.
